Filling the vacuum of general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers requires a special person. Would the Sixers be better off in the hands of Danny Ferry?
Shocked.
On a quiet afternoon/evening following the Philadelphia 76ers tenth win of the season, the news of president and general manager Sam Hinkie stepping down had pierced the silence with deafening noise. Unanswered questions. Fears of returning to anonymity. And in the wake of the emotions, eventually we all landed on the logic of the reality. The Philadelphia 76ers had to find their new general manager.
Rumors were rapid to form regarding his replacement:
Sources: Sixers have been discussing two possible candidates to share "partnership" with Hinkie: Bryan Colangelo and Danny Ferry.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 7, 2016
The initial “rumor” was that it came down to Danny Ferry, or to executive Jerry Colangelo’s son Bryan Colangelo. Before we discuss the strengths and attributes of Ferry, let’s explore the reasons why the team failed at avoiding the pitfalls of hiring Bryan Colangelo.
Despite the chiding and beratement of the NBA behind closed doors, and the voices of Colin Cowherd, Stephen A. Smith, and any host of hot take videos which focused on the three year run of Sam Hinkie, the Philadelphia 76ers fan base knew the 2016 off-season was the definitive turning point. With a franchise rebuild hinging upon the repaired right foot of center Joel Embiid, and with that repair extending over a two year time span, there was little else for this NBA franchise to do except mark time. In the meantime, the team skewed towards an inexpensive, youth-filled roster which has become the epitome of “blank slates” for the team to push forward. With an NBA draft that could result in one of the most lopsided hauls for any one team in its history, paired with two former first round draft choices debuting for the Sixers, the upcoming year has a tsunami of reasons why the team is poised to improve.
Next: Nepotism Now? Seriously?
Nepotism Now? Seriously?
The problem now becomes who is best qualified to lead this team, spend these riches, and grow this roster into a championship caliber NBA franchise worthy of the lauded history of the Philadelphia 76ers? Well, based on the way the Sixers conducted their search, it was slated to be Bryan Colangelo all along, from the moment the team brought his daddy Jerry Colangelo into the fold. Something so historically significant cheapened to an obvious form of nepotism calls serious question into the commitment to improve this team at a minimum, and poses serious concerns as to whether the franchise has any interest in winning an NBA championship in its worst form.
There was time to consider several candidates. There is plenty of time for this franchise to remove Jerry Colangelo from the obvious conflict of interest situation, and conduct a four or five candidate search which would have tempered the concerns of a fan base which waited patiently for this off-season. Now, instead of being a house united in our off-season of glory, marching into the off-season together, the irresponsible methods used by this franchise have left us all feeling like employees of a company recently bought up in a hostile takeover. We know what comes next – layoffs and hard times, for a place we had shared the pain of patiently awaiting this moment in the sun.
Shame on you Philadelphia 76ers.
The backlash of the events which resulted in the vacated general manager position could have been minimized if the team had conducted itself as any other NBA franchise might have in these circumstances. Instead, they fell upon the back room handshake deals that come with Jerry Colangelo, a mover and shaker of the NBA in the capacity of the USA Team for the Olympics, but which no longer have a place in the running of an NBA franchise. What the Philadelphia 76ers fans have been asked to accept is that the most qualified candidate to run the team going forward is the son of the guy who was responsible for losing the last guy? No matter what the actual reasons, this is too much to ask of any fan base, particularly one that has been so loyal in support of a team that struggle to win games for three years.
Next: Ferry Was A Better Option
Ferry Was A Better Option
Even without the nepotism issue, Danny Ferry would have been a wiser choice for the team. Ferry was the chief architect of the most successful season in franchise history as Atlanta won a team-record 60 games before being swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2015. Even after a controversial recording of Danny Ferry forced his to take a leave of absence from the Hawks, ownership continued to support him without hesitation:
"Danny Ferry is a tremendous GM. Danny was the principal architect of the Hawks’ success in Atlanta. From the hiring of Coach Bud to reinventing the roster, Danny’s vision has put us in the tremendous place we are today. Danny acted with integrity and professionalism as he guided the organization through important changes over the last few years.” – Atlanta Hawks CEO Steve Koonin"
The results of an NBA investigation cleared Ferry’s name, but the damage was done and the Hawks and Ferry parted ways after the 2014-2015 season. But the absence of Ferry did not prevent his mastery of building an NBA roster into a competitive team. That fact was emphasized by head coach Mike Budenholzer:
"Anyone who has followed the Hawks for the last two or three years knows that Danny Ferry is the executive who is most responsible for the makeup of our team. Danny is responsible for me being here. Our team is in a good place. I’m very grateful to work with such good players and with such a great staff.”"
Ferry knew when to hold them.
In 2013, the Hawks matched a four-year, $32 million deal for Jeff Teague, keeping him with the team after drafting him 19th in 2009. Teague went on to post 16 points and seven assists per game on 46% shooting on what now looks like a very team-friendly contract. That same summer the Hawks also re-signed Kyle Korver, who exploded from a three-point shooter into a historically great three-point shooter. They also nabbed DeMarre Carroll for just two years, $5 million, turning him into one of the NBA’s best “3-and-D” players in the process. But one of Ferry’s best moves was signing power forward Paul Millsap for two years, $20 million. Millsap is one of the NBA’s most versatile big men and leads the Hawks in scoring this season.
Ferry also drafted well. Despite not drafting big man Al Horford, he has kept Horford around in spite of injury concerns. In return, Horford has become an integral part of the Hawks’ core. Ferry also made a smart choice in drafting backup point guard Dennis Schroeder, who has backed up Teague while maintaining the Hawks’ efficiency on both ends of the floor. Ferry did not build a “superstar” lineup, instead focusing on a two-way, well rounded roster that competes on both the offensive and defensive side of the court.
Next: Sixers Trying To Move On From Sam Hinkie Era
Someone who would be an incredible leader of this Sixers franchise seeking to round out their own roster into a two-way competitive squad. If both candidates for general manager were on equal footing, the responsible choice would have been to nod in the direction of Ferry purely from the objectivity issue. But which Bryan Colangelo ends up in Philadelphia? The successful Suns GM who made fortuitous moves, or the Toronto Raptor GM, whose rush to deal diluted that team rather rapidly? Had the team pursued Ferry, I believe the outcome would prove to be a much smoother transition going forward.
The current path leaves questions about the future of the team, the commitment to head coach Brett Brown, and the commitment to winning a championship. Right now, it seems as though the ultimate goal was simply to reunite the gang from the Colangelo Phoenix Suns era, a team that never won a championship.